A review of the leaf-beetle genus Sinoluperus Gressitt &amp; Kimoto, 1963 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae) from China, with the description of a new species

Hai-Dong Yang; Chuan Feng; Xing-Ke Yang

doi:10.3897/zookeys.1200.116337

Research Article

A review of the leaf-beetle genus Sinoluperus Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae) from China, with the description of a new species

Hai-Dong Yang^‡, Chuan Feng^§|, Xing-Ke Yang^‡§

‡ Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China

§ Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

| University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Corresponding author: Xing-Ke Yang ( yangxk@ioz.ac.cn )

Academic editor: Alexander Konstantinov

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Citation: Yang H-D, Feng C, Yang X-K (2024) A review of the leaf-beetle genus Sinoluperus Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae) from China, with the description of a new species. ZooKeys 1200: 231-243. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1200.116337

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AA0F48DC-D313-4D5C-890A-FD20358765A5

Abstract

In this study, all species of the leaf-beetle genus Sinoluperus Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963 from China are redescribed based on the reexamination of type specimens, and a new species, S. variegatus sp. nov. from Nanling Mountains, is described. A key to the three Chinese species of Sinoluperus is provided, as well as photographs of the habiti and aedeagi of these species.

Key words

Key, Nanling mountains, taxonomy

Introduction

The genus Sinoluperus was established by Gressitt and Kimoto (1963) based on Sinoluperus subcostatus Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963 from southern China (Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Guangdong, and Hainan). Not until 1998 was a second species, Sinoluperus wuyiensis Yang & Wu, 1998 described from Wuyishan Mountains, China (Fujian) (Yang et al. 1998). Mohamedsaid (1999) described the third species, Sinoluperus beta Mohamedsaid, 1999, from Maxwell’s Hill in Perak, Malaysia. In 2008, Lopatin reported the fourth species, Sinoluperus vietnamicus Lopatin, 2008 from Vietnam. Prior to the present study, only four species of Sinoluperus have been known, all distributed in the Oriental Region and with three species recorded from China.

Sinoluperus species can be identified by following characters: body elongate, medium-sized, dorsal surface of body hairless and mostly yellowish brown or black-brown; head and pronotum about with same width, vertex covered with punctures; frontal tubercles transverse; antennae extendng to apex of elytra or longer than body, antennomere 2 shortest, antennomere 3 approximately 3.5× as long as antennomere 2, antennomere 4 nearly equal in length to antennomere 3 or slightly longer than 3, antennomeres 5–11 decreasing slightly in length; pronotum slightly wider than long, all margins bordered, disc slightly convex, without impression, finely and sparsely covered with punctures; scutellum triangular, with punctures or impunctate; lateral margins of elytra straight and parallel, humeri strongly convex, elytron with longitudinal impressions and punctures along impressions; elytral epipleuron broad at base, narrowed from middle to apex, disappeared before apex; procoxal cavity open behind; tibia with apical spur; first metatrsomere equal to combined remaining tarsomeres; aedeagus ventrally with a flat middle part, base with a large orifice, apex strongly sclerotized and with protrusions; in lateral view, apical protrusions, with flat middle part, and slightly curved basal part; and last visible sternite three-lobed in male and complete in female.

Recently, when we studied leaf beetles from the Nanling Mountains, southern China, two species of Sinoluperus were identified: S. wuyiensis Yang & Wu, 1998 and S. variegatus sp. nov.

Materials and methods

The specimens of new species were collected in the Nanling Mountains by net sweeping. Specimens were preserved in 100% ethanol. Morphological characters were examined with an Olympus SZ61 microscope. Male genitalia from each species were dissected using the following procedure: for dried or ethanol preserved specimens, the abdomen was removed from each specimen, boiled in water for 5–10 min, then transferred to a vial containing 10% KOH solution. The abdomen with the aedeagus was washed in distilled water 3 or 4 times, transferred to a cavity slide using fine forceps. There aedeagus was separated from the abdomen using a hooked, fine dissecting needle. Habitus images were taken using a Canon 5DSR/Nikon SMZ25 digital camera. Aedeagus images were taken using a Nikon D610 digital camera, attached to a Zeiss V/A1 microscope (with 5× objective lens). A cable shutter release was used to prevent the camera from vibration. To obtain the full depth of focus, all images were stacked using Helicon Focus 7 and the resulting output was edited with Adobe Photoshop CC.

The type specimens of new species are deposited in the following two instititions: the Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China (IZGAS); Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China (IZAS).

Abbreviations and depositories used in the paper:

TL type locality

TD type deposition

CAS California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA

IZAS Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

IZGAS Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China

Taxonomic account

Key to Chinese species of Sinoluperus

1	Vertex covered with sparsed punctures (Fig. 1A); aedeagus slender, two apical protrusions strongly produced apically, long, cone-shaped, close to each other	S. variegatus sp. nov.
–	Vertex covered with dense punctures (Fig. 1B, C); aedeagus robust, two apical protrusions weakly developed, short, nipple-shaped or short cone-shaped	2
2	Pronotum ~1.4× as wide as long; elytra black-brown or yellowish brown	*S. subcostatus*
–	Pronotum twice as wide as long, elytra yellowish-brown	*S. wuyiensis*

Sinoluperus variegatus sp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/63019284-6F92-46C7-8FA9-AEDFB2B2E8B8

Figs 1A, 2, 3, 4

Type material

Holotype : ♂ (Fig. 2), China, Hunan Province, Yizhang, Mangshan National Nature Reserve, zeziping, 22 May 2021, Nanling investigation team leg., IZGAS. Paratypes: 6♂♂1♀, same data as for preceding. 1♀, China, Guangdong Province, Ruyuan, Nanling National Nature Reserve, 20 May 2021, Nanling investigation team leg., IZGAS. 1♂, same data as for preceding, 29 May 2021, Chuan Feng leg., IZGAS. 1♂1♀, same data as for preceding, 11 Jun. 2021, Chuan Feng et al. leg., IZGAS. 3♀♀, same data as for preceding, 19 Jun. 2021, Chuan Feng et al. leg., IZGAS.

Figure 1.

Head of Sinoluperus species A S. variegatus sp. nov. B S. subcostatus Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963 C S. wuyiensis Yang & Wu, 1998.

Figure 2.

Sinoluperus variegatus sp. nov. (holotype, male) A–C habitus (male) D–F aedeagus A, D dorsal view B, E ventral view C, F lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A–C); 0.5 mm (D–F).

Figure 3.

Sinoluperus variegatus sp. nov. (paratype male) A–F habitus A, D dorsal view B, E ventral view C, F lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 4.

Sinoluperus variegatus sp. nov. (paratype, female) A–C habitus A dorsal views B ventral views C lateral views. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Diagnosis

The new species closely resembles S. subcostatus Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963, but it differs from the latter by its slender aedeagus with a gradually narrowed apical part in ventral view. In S. subcostatus, the aedeagus is robust, and its apical part is abruptly narrowed in ventral view. Light-colored specimens of new species closely resemble S. wuyiensis Yang & Wu, 1998. However, the vertex of S. variegatus sp. nov. almost impunctate, vertex of S. wuyiensis strongly and closely punctate.

Description

Male. Length: 4.5–5.0 mm. Head, pronotum, scutellum, ventral side of body, femur, and basal half of tibia yellow or orange. Antennae black-brown, with antennomeres 1–3 yellow-brown, most of metepimeron brown. Elytra black-brown or pale in some specimens. Apical half of tibia, tarsus, and claw black-brown.

Vertex with sparse punctures, with fine reticulation. Frontal tubercles transverse, extending downward between antennal bases. Antennae longer than body; antennomeres 1 bare, rod-shaped, antennomeres 2–11 with short hairs, antennomere 2 shortest, antennomere 3 ~3.5× as long as antennomere 2; antennomere 4 ~1.3× as long as antennomere 3, thick and curved at apex, antennomere 5 equal to antennomere 4 in length, antennomeres 6–11 gradually shortened.

Pronotum ~1.5× as wide as long, lateral margins straight at base and slightly rounded at apex; three setae present on each side of lateral margins, basal margin slightly convex, anterior margin slightly concave, anterior and posterior angles thickened and rounded; disc strongly convex, with sparse and fine punctures, shiny.

Scutellum triangular, smooth, impunctate.

Elytra wider than pronotum at base, humeri strongly convex, lateral sides subparallel and gradually widened posteriorly. Disc with 10 shallow longitudinal grooves, covered with small punctures in grooves, interstices of punctures wider than diameter of individual puncture. Elytral epipleuron broad at base, narrowed at middle, gradually narrowed from middle to apex.

Legs strong, each tibia with distinct spur at apex, tarsomere 1 of hind tarsi equal to combined remaining tarsomeres.

Aedeagus slender; in ventral view, sides abruptly narrowed near apex, with apical protrusions forming two cones close to each other.

Female. Length 6.5 mm. Head, pronotum, scutellum, ventral surface of body, femur, and base of tibia yellowish brown; apical half of tibia, tarsus, claw black brown. Antennae black-brown, with antennomeres 1–3 yellow-brown. Antenna ~2/3 of body length, antennomere 3 ~3× as long as antennomere 2; antennomere 4 ~1.5× as long as antennomere 3, antennomere 5 equal in length to antennomere 4, antennomere 6 slightly shorter than antennomere 5, antennomeres 7–11 gradually widened. Punctures Barely visible on pronotum and elytra.

Distribution

China: Zhejiang, Hunan, Guangdong.

Etymology

The species name (Latin, meaning “variegated”) refers to the variable color of elytra.

Sinoluperus subcostatus Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963

Figs 1B, 5, 6, 7, 8

Sinoluperus subcostatus Gressitt and Kimoto 1963: 584. TL: China, Jiangxi. TD: CAS.

Type specimens examined

Holotype : ♂. Hong San, SE Kiangsi Prov, China, 16. Jul. 1936, Gressitt leg., CAS8509. Paratypes: ♀. Szechuan, W. China, Pe-pei,, 28. Jul. 1940, Gressitt; 300 m a. s. l. Brit. Mus. 1963-245. ♂. China, Hainan Province, Tai-pin (Dwa-bi), 325 m a. s. l., 22 Jul. 1935, Gressitt leg., IZAS.

Figure 5.

Sinoluperus subcostatus (male) (holotype) A–C habitus A dorsal view B lateral view C head view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 6.

Sinoluperus subcostatus (female) (paratype) A–C habitus A dorsal view B lateral view C head view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 7.

Sinoluperus subcostatus (male) (paratype) A–C habitus D–F aedeagus A, D dorsal view B, E ventral view C, F lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A–C); 0.5 mm (D–F).

Figure 8.

Sinoluperus subcostatus (female) A–C habitus A dorsal view B ventral view C lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.